Improvements in the electrical data transmission industry, especially in the computer field, have resulted in the ability to transmit data along transmission lines at increasingly higher data rates. Further, similar improvements have also seen the decrease in the size of the equipment used in the industry. In order to function effectively with such equipment, the interconnection technology, such as the electrical cables and electrical connectors which connect such equipment, has also undergone significant improvements. Electrical connectors are now smaller and capable of transmitting data at higher rates between such components.
The requirement to make the electrical connectors smaller necessitates putting the conductive contacts of such connectors in closer proximity. However, when transmitting data at higher data rates, this physical proximity also increases the cross-talk levels between such electrical contacts. Accordingly, the industry has seen the need for improved shielding within the electrical connectors so as to reduce cross-talk levels in the smaller connectors working at higher data rates. This is especially prevalent in connectors used in closed-loop data systems which provide for continuity of signal in a multi-component system when certain of the connectors are not interconnected. These closed-loop systems employ connectors containing devices which permit automatic shunting so that a closed-loop connection is maintained even when a connector is in a non-connected condition. Such shunting devices in these connectors render effective shielding even more difficult.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an electrical connector which provides for shielding in a compact connector design and which reduces cross-talk between contacts of the connector when operating at higher data rates.